iPhone "Baby Shaker" App Pulled - What Was Apple Thinking?

There's nothing funny about shaking a baby to make it stop crying, but that's the premise of a game that Apple temporarily approved for sale to iPhone users this week. The app, intended no doubt to be humorous, displayed a picture of a baby on the phone's screen and played a recording of a baby crying. The user then had to shake the iPhone vigorously until red X's appeared on the baby's eyes and the crying stopped.

The description of the now-unavailable app read, "On a plane, on the bus, in a theatre. Babies are everywhere you don't want them to be! They're always distracting you from preparing for that big presentation at work with their incessant crying. Before Baby Shaker there was nothing you could do about it."

And of course, the description included a disclaimer: "Never, never shake a baby."

As you might imagine, there was quite an uproar over this app, primarily from parents. Patrick Donohue, founder of the Sarah Jane Brain Foundation, an organization that helps parents and medical professionals deal with Pediatric Acquired Brain Injuries such those as caused by Shaken Baby Syndrome, wrote directly to Apple CEO Steve Jobs to express his dismay: "As the father of a 3-year-old who was shaken by her baby nurse when she was only 5 days old, breaking 3 ribs, both collarbones and causing a severe brain injury, words cannot describe my reaction." Marilyn Bar, the founder of the US Center for Shaken Baby Syndrome, goes even further: "Not only are they making fun of shaken baby syndrome, but they are actually encouraging it. This is absolutely terrible."

Does milk really do a body good? Are the hormones safe? Does yogurt help with weight loss, and does kefir promote better digestion? It can be maddening trying to muddle through all the conflicting information out there. We have the down low on which dairy products your family should be eating, drinking and slurping.

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Milk: It's one of the best sources of calcium, needed for building strong bones and teeth and safe weight loss, according to one recent study. Plus, milk is full of protein, fortified with vitamin D and protects against colon cancer. So what's the problem? Well, lactose intolerance for many, probable increased risk of prostate cancer and possible increased risk of ovarian cancer. That's the hormones, found in standard and organic milk (thanks to dairy cows being kept pregnant so that they'll lactate). And that weight-loss study? Funded by the National Dairy Council.

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Verdict: There's currently no good scientific evidence that says that drinking more than one glass of milk per day is necessary, according to the Harvard School of Public Health. Given some of the risk factors associated with consuming too much dairy, best to look to non-dairy sources for your daily requirement of calcium (1,000 to 1,200 milligrams). Go for leafy greens, beans and whole grains -- all of which offer countless other health benefits, too.

Ray Kachatorian

Cheese: Cheese is the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde of the dairy world. On the one hand, we can appreciate delicate shavings of parmesan enhancing the flavor of a salad, or a slice of Bucheron complementing a glass of wine. On the other, we see a slop of melted cheddar oozing over nachos, a roadside stop on the path to obesity or clogged arteries.

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Verdict: Think moderation. Most cheese is high in sodium and isn't exactly low-calorie. But the combination of fat and protein in cheese is very satisfying, and it can keep your appetite in check for hours after eating. The endless variety of cheeses can accommodate most tastes and diets: Feta is low in saturated fats, firm ricotta is low in sodium and Swiss offers a real protein punch. Plus, cheese happens to be great for your teeth -- in addition to providing calcium, it changes the pH in your mouth to discourage bacteria.

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Yogurt: Yogurt offers all the benefits of milk, and then some. It's more easily digested than milk and contains friendly bacteria that's good for your intestinal tract. Some studies even show it to boost immunity and fight cancerous tumors. Unfortunately, most of the yogurt you see on supermarket shelves is so highly sweetened that most of the calories in the product come from the sugar, not the yogurt itself.

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Verdict: Buy plain yogurt. It is more nutritious in every way and it's easily sweetened with fruit, maple syrup or agave nectar. Or, don't sweeten it and use it in place of sour cream, milk or mayonnaise when making pancakes, muffins or tuna salad. Also, avoid any yogurt at the store called "lite," as it likely contains artificial sweeteners and colors.

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Kefir: Kefir, which is just now more widely available, is a cultured, enzyme-rich food that contains even more beneficial bacteria than yogurt, as well as healthy yeasts. It also contains the essential amino acid tryptophan, which has a calming effect on the nerves.

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Verdict: Ta-da! Kefir is he healthiest of all the dairy products. But, as with yogurt, it's best to avoid the overly sweetened commercial varieties. Choose plain kefir, or, better yet, you can purchase a starter culture and easily make your own using whatever milk you normally buy.

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Apple has removed the program from their iPhone app store and the developer, Sikalosoft, no longer lists it on their website.

We've all experienced the frustration that comes with a baby that won't stop crying. I spent the first three months of my oldest son's life trudging up and down the stairs all night long because that was the only thing that would stop him from crying. And it can be even worse when it's someone else's baby disturbing your meal or interrupting your movie. But, of course, physical abuse is never an option for dealing with an unhappy or inconsolable child. And yet, the developer of this application seems to find this kind of behavior amusing.

I'm sure someone, somewhere, thought, at some point, that this was funny, but someone at Apple, which has been criticized for being too particular about the apps they do approve, certainly made a mistake in approving this one.

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ReaderComments (Page 3 of 5)

oh for heaven's sake. Apple didn't make the game. Its a game for the iphone and ipod touch. Its not FROM apple, but FOR apple. it was a blunder to have it approved for sale, yes, but can we stop for just a minute with the monumental outrage. Its a tasteless game. Most people don't approve of sick humor, a small segment crave it. The game has been removed. There's no need to villify the company for the rest of your life because of some creepy game someone developed for its systems. You people who hop from i'll never buy this again to I would throw up if i had bought the iphone instead of the blackberry need to get a life. You are acting as if real babies were harmed in the making of this game.

Seth is right, just because you are offended by something does not give you the right to eradicate it. _____________Perhaps not, but we do have the choice to eradicate our money from Apple's pockets. Good day :)

No "futurecowboy" we do not have a big company promoting a video game abusing babies". Have you seen the promotions? was it on tv? radio? in print? nooooooooo. Once again a hysterical someone making up drama in his or her own mind. This game was not created by apple, but FOR apple. its tasteless, and not something most would buy or play. I am glad it has been removed from sale. But suggesting a major us company was promoting the abuse of babies is just ridiculous. What is the quality of education in the US that logic has sunk to such lows? Ditto to Brianne who thinks the creator and however approved its sale at the itunes store should be thrown in jail. Put away your torches and pitchforks, Brianne and step back into reality. It's a game, its not a baby shaking device sold to harried parents. Seth is right, just because you are offended by something does not give you the right to eradicate it.

My goodness you people know nothing about how sales work. APPLE had to approve of this game. So they are responsible, without them the game would never have been released. Children dont know that shaking a baby can kill or even brain damage the babies. The game show the baby shutting up if you shake it. If a child has this game the logic of a child is well if I shake the apple baby it shuts up so if I shake the real baby it will shut up. Not knowing that the baby is dead and the child that did the shaking could go to jail. It seem to me that intellect is a thing of the past. Use anything that sells to make money. Its a sad time for the world when people think this kind of thing is funny. I feel you have lost your humanity and I look at you as bad as the baby killer that are out there now. Why not make a game of the young paraplegic girl that was killed by being starved to death. That's your logic. There is no help for people like you. And that's sad very sad. Sit back and think of where your life is going, It cant be good with that attitude

I tnink this game is just awful!!!!!! I care for 3 children with shaken baby syndrome. I have seen the horrific outcome of a child who lives through this abuse. The game IS NOT FUNNY or CUTE! The deveolper of this game should be slapped!

I'm disappointed that Apple would pull this app because of some over sensative people. If I knew I could play cool games like that on the iPhone, I may have purchased one instead of the one I bought. The game was a great idea and kudos to the developer who created it. I hope this game doesn't go away forever, but if it does I hope one of my friends with an iPhone had the chance to download it before it was pulled.

You know what would be even better Nathan?A follow up apt with the person in prison after killing the baby. HA HA HO HO They could make some sort of real funny joke about being butt raped everyday in your cell! Wouldn't that be great? Everyone knows child killers are treated special in prison hope your 20 something( I am guessing) grade A @ss isn't too sensitive to get the humor in this. Bye bye now.

Kate, I think you're on to something. That's a great idea idea for an app too. Again, something I'd like to play. The ridiculousness of both games, the baby shaking game and your concept of a prison rape game, are appealing for my entertainment value. But much like I wouldn't try to butt rape a guy in real life because I did it in a game, I also wouldn't shake a baby in real life just because I did it in a game. Other things I don't do in real life that I've done in video games would include: running people off the road(Bump N Jump), killing ducks(Duck Hunt) and stomping on turtles(Super Mario Brothers). Regardless of the year, system or quality of sound and graphics, I'm still able to differentiate between fantasy and reality.

I think this game may help educate people (in a round about way) that shaking babies is harmful. Many people who shake babies don't know it's harmful to a child.Also, as a female comic once said, if there was a video game in which you stab babies in their sleep, I would play it.

Hello again! Well at least this stupid game is bringing to the forefront the horrible consequences of Shaken Baby Syndrome. Like I said before, I care for children who have shaken baby syndrome. We adopted one of them, who was shaken and thrown into a tv by the father because he cried too much at 3 months old. The father only got 8 years and served 4. Ben can not walk, talk, see, has the mind of an infant and eats via a tube in his tummy. BUT he has the most beautiful smile in the world. People who perpetrate this abuse should be charged with murder. The original child is gone due to this heinous act. People love your children, they are a precious gift that God has given you. Treasure them. If you can not care for them--and they make so upset that you may hurt them--before you do---adoption is a wonderful option.

Apple has proven again that profit is the name of the game.These idiot geeks have no respect for life as long as they get what they want. Profit.I suspect that a few of them may have been shaken as kids, just not hard enough.

It may "only be a game or a movie" but those same games and movies give people ideas. Those bored and evil people take those ideas and make their own games and torture and kill people just for fun. Those games and movies are not to be blamed. It is the fault of the people who do the crimes. Respect yourself and respect other people and you won't need to watch out when you drop the soap.

I'm surprised they pulled it. Our society's tolerance for violence is so high that mimicking actions which kill innocent children is acceptable to many. Personally, I think it was a sick, perverted, base level of pushing the envelope of amoral behavior and calling it entertainment. I strongly disagree with the writer that someone, somewhere thought this was funny. Un-huh. Some people happen to know there is a segment of society which feeds on violence, deception, murder, fetishes, and the whole ugly list, and they develop and market these types of product just for them. These types of "games" achieve absolutely nothing positive, but they do contribute directly to the fraying of our society.

The name Apple once stood for something decent and represented what amazing things can be achieved in America. I am sorely disappointed in Steve Jobs and Apple for approving this app and joining the pathetic entrepreneurs who will do anything for a buck.

Thank you for saying it so well. But what can one expect from a country that voted Barack the Butcher into office? Milllions of abortions, including partial birth. A push toward euthanasia. Embryonic stem cell research when it's adult stem cells that have produced very real results.

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